How to Get Out of Broken Ice, Alive!

What should you do if you fall through a piece of thin ice?  Anyone who does anything on ice, such as ice cutting, fishing or skating, are in danger and should know how to escape if they fall through the ice.

1.  Do not panic.

The water that you will land in will be freezing.  In fact, it will probably take your breath away.  You must force yourself to breathe steadily.

2.  Turn in the direction from which you came.

Most likely the strongest ice is on the side that you came from.  If you try to get out on a different side, the ice might crumble under you.

3.  Lift yourself onto the edge of the hole.

Hold yourself there, and let as much water as possible drain out of your clothes.  Remember to continue breathing steadily.

4.  Get a firm grip on the ice.

Reach out as far as possible onto the solid ice.  Use anything that you have available, such as keys or knives (You always carry one, right?), to dig into the ice.

5.  Kick your feet while you pull.

Do not try to get out by pulling only.  Instead, kick your feet, like you are swimming, while you pull with your arms.

6.  Roll away from the danger zone.

Do not stand up.  Rolling distributes your weight more evenly, making the ice less likely to break.

7.  Change your clothes and get warm.

You should change you clothes immediately.  Staying in your wet, cold clothes will increase your chance of hypothermia.  You must have someone check whether you have hypothermia or any  other dangerous condition.  If you do, you should get medical attention as soon as possible.

A manly man should know have to protect himself and his loved ones in a dangerous situation.  Learning to escape from broken ice will help you toward that goal.

Restoring a Shredded Document

Have you ever accidentally shredded an important document?  You no longer have to give up on retrieving you lost document.  Using this manly skill, you should be able to restore it. 

1. Ascertain the identifying characteristics of the shredded document.  Try to remember unusual characteristics like logos, paper weight, unusual fonts, and images that were on the paper you are restoring. 
2. Sort the shreds.  Using the characteristics that you determined in the last step, separate the shreds that were in your document from the other shreds in your shredder.  Make a pile of each.
3. Begin restoring.  Tape matching shreds together with clear tape.  As soon as you find a match tape it together.  This part is basically like making a puzzle.
4. Photo copy the restored document.  Once you have made a photocopy of the restored document, your task is completed.

This is a good exercise in persistence.  During the  one to two hours that you will be restoring your document, you will most likely feel like giving up.  Instead, think of how close you are to the end and how great it will feel to have completed the restoration.

Never Give In – The Perseverance of Churchill

“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”  – Sir Winston Churchill, Past Prime Minister of Great Britain

One important quality of Christian manliness is his tenacity.  This persistence in the face of difficulty, or even death, should be an objective of every Christian man.  One of the best ways to obtain a sought after virtue is by studying manly examples.  An outstanding example of this virtue is found in great statesman Sir Winston Churchill.

What do you think of when you picture Churchill?  A loved leader?  A defender of freedom?  How about a boy practically deserted by his parents?  A man suffering from a myriad of diseases?  A politician disliked by his companions?  Few people realize that Winston Churchill’s life was anything but easy.  Born to an unaffectionate and cold-heart father and a frivolous and disinterested mother Churchill’s childhood was one of rejection.  Many weak-willed men would have succumbed to these difficulties and blamed his parents for his failure in life.  Not so with Churchill.  He avoided the alluring yet deadly pit of bitterness, and pressed on to lead his country in defense of freedom. 

Did Churchill pity himself because of his difficult childhood?  Indeed he did not!  Later in life Sir Winston Churchill stated, “Famous men are usually the product of an unhappy childhood.  The stern compression of circumstances, the twinges of adversity, the spur of slights and taunts in early years, are needed to evoke that ruthless fixity of purpose and tenacious mother wit without which great actions are seldom accomplished.”  Churchill certainly possessed “that ruthless fixity of purpose”.

Physically, Winston Churchill was never truly healthy.  Throughout his life he was repeatedly thrown down by dangerous diseases, but he never succumbed to them.  He was prone to hives, boils, and rashes.  Pneumonia regularly attacked him, and, at least once, nearly killed him.  In the later years of his life, he suffered many strokes.  In fact, Churchill was so prone to disease that one historian wrote that Churchill was expected to die from one disease or another almost every year of his life.  During his many diseases, Winston Churchill’s tenacity showed as he continued on despite the difficulties.

Churchill was never afraid to stand.  Whether he disagreed with his current party or with the entire world, he consistently stood for what he believed.  Often, Churchill would “cross the aisle” and vote differently than his current party.  Before World War II, he warned anyone and everyone who would listen that Hitler was a threat to the free world.  After World War II, while the rest of the allies were tired of war and wanted to pretend that all opposition to freedom had died with Hitler, Churchill stood.  Once again, he took the unpopular position and warned the world that Marxist communism was a threat to freedom.  Most of the world ignored him; the iron curtain dropped, and the Cold War began.  Popular opinion did not worry Churchill; truth did concern him.

Politically, Churchill rose and fell consistently.  He was often beaten down, yet never crushed.  He lost his first election, only to win it a few years latter.  Happily, he was elected the one of the youngest cabinet members in history, but was later expelled from the admiralty.  During World War II, he was elected Prime Minister, only to be voted out of office shortly after the war ended.  Six long years later, he was again elected Prime Minister.  During his difficult political career, Sir Winston Churchill lost more elections than any other British politician.  Why then is he remembered while most of his contemporaries are forgotten?  It is because he persevered.  When others would have given up, he continued.  When others would have given in and compromised, he stood.  May we learn from his manly example and never, never, never give in!

Should I Invest in Gold?

As manly men, it is our duty to defend women and children.  This not only includes fighting for them, but also doing our best to provide for them financially by the grace of God.  In addition, we should do our best to protect them from all worry, including financial worry.

As our economy is suffering, everyone wants to find some way to be financially safe during this “economic decline”, the politically correct term for a recession.  In this quest for financial security many have enlisted the help of gold.  Is that a good choice?  Will gold bring financial security?  Unfortunately, there is no simple answer.  The correct answer depends on your financial situation and that is known only by you.  Therefore, rather than giving you a generic and, quite possibly, wrong answer, I will give you reasons backing up the two opposing views.  You can then apply these general principles to your personal situation and decide what is best for you.

Reasons to invest in gold

• Historically, gold has kept its value. Even when a national currency has lost it’s value, gold has preserved it’s value. Our dollar is weakening due to bad economic policies.  Because of our national debt, the dollar could suddenly lose much of it’s value if that debt is recalled. 
• Worldwide gold production is not matching consumption. The price will go up with demand.  This is simple economics.  In a free market economy, when the demand of a certain item goes up and the supply stays the same, the price of that item will go up.
• Some news sources are suggesting that gold prices are being manipulated.  Gold is being sold in markets such as ebay for a price much higher than the official spot price of gold.  Some say that this shows manipulation of the official gold price.

Reasons to not invest in gold

• Gold does not pay income or interest. Gold is basically an insurance policy.  If the economy does go well, you will not make any money.  If it goes badly, you still will not make any money; you simply will not lose your hard-earned money through inflation.  Because of this you definately should not invest all of your money in gold.  The key to safe investments is diversification.
• Central banks have lots of gold which they have occationally threatened to sell.  If they did sell their gold, the price of gold could go down.

Now it is time for you to decide what to do.  Today is the day for action.  With the availability of gold lessening everyday, you must decide now.  In the future it might be too late.

During these difficult economic times, it is important for you to know  where you stand.  If you stand in Christ, you can be comforted by God’s promise in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Glory be to God!

Lessons in Life – Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt advocated what he called “ the strenuous life”.  He understood that our time on earth is limited and that we should make the most of it.  Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”  Theodore Roosevelt believed that verse and stated, “Leaders are those who make the most of every moment, of every opportunity, and of every available resource.” 

Theodore certainly practiced what he preached.  He, both physically and mentally, was constantly busy.   When Theodore Roosevelt was a boy, he was sickly and weak.  However, through consistent hard work, he grew into a strong and energetic man.  Roosevelt climbed mountains, hunted, fished, and fought in the Spanish-American War.  He even had a boxing ring set up in the White House and invited prizefighters to box a few rounds with him!  Physically, Theodore Roosevelt lead a strenuous life.

Mentally, Roosevelt was no different.  He had a voracious appetite for learning.  Most weeks Theodore Roosevelt read at least five books, more if he was not too busy.  This reading payed off.  His son Archie testified, “In one afternoon, I have heard him speak to the foremost Bible student of the world, a prominent ornithologist, an Asian diplomat, and a French general, all of whom agreed that Father knew more about the subjects in which they had specialized than they did.”  His was indeed a strenuous life.

Beyond a doubt, Theodore Roosevelt was a manly man.  He, perhaps better than any other man, captures the essence of Christian manliness.  Starting life weaker than most, he ended life having accomplished much more than most.  His life is an enduring example for use to follow.  Rise up O men of God and lead a strenuous life!

The Six Steps of Historical Research

 

History, otherwise known as “His story”, is the study of how God has worked in mankind.  As such, it is an important subject for Christian gentlemen to understand.  Studying history can help one avoid repeating the mistakes of others.  Conversely, the study of history can aid one in repeating good choices that others have made.  Examining history will assist one in making better decisions in the future.

Historians have formulated a process by which they research history.  This process aids them to research more quickly and with more reliable results.

1.  Learning what others have already detected

A historian first researches the discoveries that have already been made.   This will keep him from being forced to rediscover previously known facts.  Skipping this step is similar to trying to learn algebra without having first mastered arithmetic.

2.  Checking the sources

Thinking logically, a good historian does not blindly accept the conclusions of other historians.  Instead, he checks their references.  Two types of sources can be found.  Primary sources are original items, while secondary sources are conclusions that others have made after (hopefully) studying the primary sources.  For instance, a historian researching the Pilgrims would use primary sources such as letters they wrote, songs they sang songs, journals they recorded, and books they wrote.  If the historian wrote a book about what he leaned from the primary sources, his book would be a secondary source.

3.  Finding errors and shaping questions

After learning what others have said about a particular event, a historian will often find that his sources have gaps, leave certain questions unanswered, or even disagree with each other.  If this is not the case, he probably needs to find more sources.  For example, some historians think that the North started the War Between the States, and others think that the South started the Civil War.  They even call the war by different names.  A historian needs to find these inconsistencies.

4.  Looking for new evidence

At this point, a historian tries to dig up new evidence.  He wants to fill the gaps, answer the questions, and settle the disagreements.  Like a man fixing an old, torn-up road he wants to fill in the gaps and smooth the inconsistencies, making it easy for others to continue down the road of learning. 

5.  Expanding the search

This is a continuation of the step four.  When looking for information, a historian will often be unable to find enough evidence until he expands his search.  For example, if a historian is looking for information about Winston Churchill, he will be able to learn more by studying his family and friends also.

6.  Sharing the discoveries

A historian gains insights from others by showing them what he has learned and asking if they agree with his conclusions.  This keeps him from overlooking some obvious or important fact.  For instance, a historian who has be researching Theodore Roosevelt might find, after sharing his results with another historian, that Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed mountain climbing.

Armed with this six-step process, historians and even ordinary people like you and I can discover useful historical facts that will aid us in making better decisions for the glory of God.